What a joy to spend so many days with butterflies in Eatonton’s Briar Patch Habitat! Eatonton is a wonderful town, southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. An active citizen and town leader initiated the conversion of this one-time aluminum  plant site from hardscrabble empty lot to . . . Butterfly Habitat. Virginia Cartwright Linch got her hands dirty, and pulled, tugged, dragged, shoveled her way through that 3-acre site. Top soil, mulch, straw, seeds, seedlings were brought, donated, and offered by an increasing cadre of volunteers.

With my father and brother living not too far from Eatonton, I had been seeking a good destination to find Southern U.S. butterflies. I noted their website, visited it, and was immediately greeted warmly. As the months went by, I was invited to come down and enjoy the progress of this start-up, a butterfly dream-world.

Virginia’ s description of the Habitat was right on the money. This June 2015 visit was rich in butterfly sightings. Caterpillars and eggs were everywhere. Too much fun for Jeff!

The slides now go to Kansas, and upon their return (this time they will not be stolen) they’ll be scanned at Rewind Memories, here in Pittsburgh.

I took a moment to explore the tree-line bordering the Habitat. As I ran my eyes across an opening in the trees–Hey was that a Little Wood Satyr, like the one shared here? No! No! It rested on a shaded leaf, and its dorsal wing surface did not have eyespots. No eyespots!! A Carolina Satyr. Dadah! I haven’t seen one since a trip to the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, some years ago.

On June 18th I finally was able to photograph it, wings closed this time. My film will travel from Pittsburgh to Kansas to Pittsburgh. If my images merit it, then to be shared. Time will tell.

Jeff